This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII + 9; pectoral fins 14-17; gill rakers 7-9 + 17-20 = 25-28; lateral-line scales 33-35; body moderately deep to deep. Measurements as % SL: body depth at anal-fin origin 24-28; maximum head depth 24-28; head depth through eye 18-21; suborbital depth 11-13; head length 30-34; snout length 11-13; postorbital length 12-13; upper-jaw length 13-14; barbel length 18-24; barbel width 0.9-1.4; caudal-peduncle length 17-21; second dorsal-fin base length 14-17; caudal-fin length 29-32; length of anal-fin base 9.1-11; anal-fin height 17-18; pelvic-fin length 19-22; pectoral-fin length 27-30; pectoral-fin width 4.4-5.7; first dorsal-fin height 25-27; first two dorsal-fin spines protruding; second dorsal-fin height 18-20. Colouration: caudal fin pale red, no bars, with dark margin on upper lobe forming a dark lobe tip and a white margin on lower lobe forming a white lobe tip; white margin on lower lobe bordered inside by a dark contrasting margin; dorsal fin red with black distal margins formed by dark-pigmented spine and ray tips, first two elongated long spines on dorsal fin forming a dark tip; head and body pale rose to reddish, darker dorsally, especially on head; paired and anal fins are pale rose-whitish hyaline, anal fin sometimes with pale gray area centrally; barbels white, pale when preserved; dark pigmentation on dorsal, caudal, and anal fins at least partially retained when preserved, body and head uniformly brown or pale brown, becoming darker dorsally in preservative (Ref. 138759).